Port of Rotterdam Authority is carrying out a pilot in the port of Rotterdam for the fleet renewal of the Port Authority's vessels. As part of this, the company is testing an all-electric hydrofoil vessel: the Artemis EF-12 Workboat.
The Artemis EF-12 Workboat is a new hydrofoil patrol vessel. The vessel bears the name RPA ZERO, which refers to its zero emissions. This is possible partly because of the vessel's smart design. For instance, the hull is lifted out of the water at higher speeds. This reduces drag and wave action, and increases energy efficiency.
The ship's propulsion is fully electric. This means that the ship does not use diesel and therefore has CO2 emissions while sailing.
Fleet renewal
The pilot should show whether a hydrofoil vessel could be suitable for the tasks of the Harbour Master Division within the Port of Rotterdam Authority. This as the company's vessels reach the end of their technical lifespan in the next 12 years.
The Port Authority wants to seize this moment to renew its entire fleet. In doing so, it is also committed to making the fleet more sustainable. The Port Authority also wants to standardise and simplify maintenance processes. Central to this is that the new ships must be 'fit for purpose'. That means they must be deployable seven days a week and 24 hours a day.
'To be smartest and most sustainable port'
"We want to be the smartest port, with increasing use of modern tools in our enforcement and monitoring tasks. We also want to be the most sustainable port, but in case of incidents we need to be able to respond quickly on the water," explains Herman Verweij, manager of Ship and Environmental Safety at the Harbour Master's Division.
Verweij: "Consider the minimal wave action and exceptional stability, even in choppy water. Therefore, we are excited to investigate whether and how electric hydrofoils can complement our composition of deployable resources."
Explore applications, opportunities and risks
The pilot will run until November 2025. In the coming months, the Port Authority wants to test and investigate the applications, opportunities and risks of hydrofoils in the fleet. Among other things, it will test the sailing behaviour, reliability of the vessels, the advantages and disadvantages of electric sailing and charging and the applicability within the tasks of the Harbour Master Division.
The Artemis EF-12 Workboat has been leased by the Port of Rotterdam Authority from Artemis Technologies. Dr Iain Percy OBE, CEO of Artemis Technologies: "Partnering with the Port of Rotterdam Authority is an opportunity to demonstrate how our Artemis EF-12 Workboat can contribute to making nautical operations more sustainable. We look forward to supporting the Port of Rotterdam in its efforts to achieve sustainability ambitions, while maintaining the highest safety and efficiency standards."
